Somerled

Somerled (1113-1164) was King of Sudreyjar from 1158 to 1164, succeeding Godred Olafsson and preceding Ragnvald Olafsson.

Biography
Somerled was born to the Norse-Gaelic Somhairle family in 1113, and, in 1153, he supported his kinsmen in their insurgency against King Malcolm IV of Scotland. After the unsuccessful uprising, Somerled turned his attention to conquering the Kingdom of the Isles, which were ruled by his brother-in-law Godred Olafsson. In 1156, he seized control of the kingdom in a coup, and, two years later, he defeated and drove Godred from power, becoming King of Sudreyjar. In 1164, he launched an invasion of Scotland, but he was slain at the Battle of Renfrew, leading to the disintegration of his kingdom.